Tattica: Where to begin with the CMNT?

There are no excuses to justify the humiliating 8-1 loss to Honduras that Canada suffered last Tuesday. The World Cup, a place that they haven't been to since 1986, now looks very far away for Canada.

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But despite the shocking defeat, not all the blame should be put on now former head coach Stephen Hart’s shoulders. His team was not prepared but his player’s were psychologically frails.

Hart made the right move with resignation as national men's soccer coach, realistically, the only one he could make. He leaves with a coaching record of 20-15-10 in a pair of stints between 2006 and 2012.

Ultimately, as Canadian fullback Ante Jazic pointed out, the disaster in Honduras had nothing to do with Hart’s coaching or tactics.

Looking at the big picture, the problem is that Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) has not developed the correct framework from which the Canadian National Team would be in a realistic place to qualify for a World Cup. Simply put, the CSA simply has not instituted a legitimate coaching development program, nor has it done enough to assist with the growth of professional soccer in soccer.

Hart did his best with the players he had at his disposal, but the CSA has not done enough to promote the development of World Cup quality players. At this point in time, Canada has very little credibility in International soccer. The country does not produce international elite players. Dwayne De Rosario and Atiba Hutchinson are gems in the desert. At its most basic level, the failure in Honduras was a failure of a Overall system.

Canadian soccer has to make a step forward. It doesn’t take much to see that the embarrassing qualifying round is linked to a lack of quality international players. The CSA must build a professional championship to serve as gym for young players. For things to improve for the national team, there has to be a second professional environment behind MLS, as the Canadian Federation needs to have a place where young players can grow. Canada's lack of experience was a mess during this campaign and the CSA's new technical director will have to fix it.

Naming the next head coach isn’t going to be enough. He could be an internal guy or an external one and it likely won’t make that much of a difference. But the main problem is that players consistently arrive into national program without the indispensable skill-set to play at this level. It’s hard to create a legitimate prospect for qualification in this manner. The CSA needs to lead men’s soccer to the next level, because right now it doesn’t matter who Canada hires as the next head coach.

By the way, regarding this topic, there are a number of names to suggest that should be considered to fill the now vacant head coaching role. The first one is Nick Dasovic. The current U-20 head coach has the experience to move up and lead the big boys.

Another option is Bob Bradley. He could leave Egypt due to the recent troubles in Egyptian football. Marc dos Santos, the Montréal native now coaching in the lower tiers in Brazil, could be another affordable option.

Bigger name options are Tony Pulis or Paulo Sousa. Pulis built his legacy with Stoke City despite have not premier level players, while Sousa, now with Hungarian side Videoton, has a strong background and would import a new approach more based on ball retention.

Paul Peschisolido is another prominent Canadian name who is available following his dismissal at Burton Albion. Another name to consider is current U.S. men's national U-17 team coach Richie Williams. Bringing in Williams would be a move somewhat similar to the CSA’s hiring of John Herdman, who is young but has done well as the Women’s national team head coach. Lastly, Carolina RailHawks coach Colin Clarke has enjoyed success in the A-League and the NASL.

Whichever way they decide to go, the CSA needs to make the right moves towards restoring Canada’s international dignity.